5.11 The Decline of Political Parties: Is the Party Over?

Announcements:

Super Tuesday: Did yesterday's results change the trajectory of the race? 

HB 1508 & 2518:  Read this article on how a group of high school students are trying to change AP credit policy in their state.

Class today: Make sure you read the articles and watch the videos on how political parties have changed in recent years. Be prepared to debate on whether political parties are on the decline or not.

READING: 218-242 in Edwards

Unit Five Identification Terms

Today's Essential Question: How have political parties changed?

Learning Standards:

PMI-5.C: Explain why and how political parties change and adapt.

PMI-5.C.1: Parties have adapted to candidate-centered campaigns, and their role in nominating candidates has been weakened.

PMI-5.C.2: Parties modify their policies and messaging to appeal to various demographic coalitions.

PMI-5.C.3: The structure of parties has been influenced by:

• Critical elections and regional realignments
• Campaign finance law
• Changes in communication and data-management technology

PMI-5.C.4: Parties use communication technology and voter-data management to disseminate, control, and clarify political messages and enhance outreach and mobilization efforts

The Decline of Political Parties?

As the charts above illustrate, the number of individuals who are identifying as independents is at an all time high. But why? What is causing the decline in party identification and what impact does that have on the political process?

Read the article, Party Decline,  to help understand some of the causes for the decline of parties over the last half century. As you read, take note how each of the following contributed to to this decline:

• The role of the media
• The rise of interest groups
• Political reforms like primaries and the Australian ballot
• Money and candidate-centered campaigns

However, not everyone believes the rise of independent voters and the decline of political parties is real. Read this article to see why.

Finally, would we be better off with a nonpartisan system? Several states (most notably the Great State of Nebraska) have adopted nonpartisan primary elections. The Atlantic takes a look at this proposed reform.

Changes in Political Party Demographics

PMI-5.C.2: Parties modify their policies and messaging to appeal to various demographic coalitions.

Look at the various charts on the Pew Research Center's study on Trends in party affiliation among demographic groups. Identify at least four different demographic groups and how their party affiliation/support has changed over time. Explain how this might affect party platforms, policies, and campaigns.

Changes in Campaigning by Parties